If you haven't read Eleanor & Park click Here for a description. I'll try to keep it relatively spoiler free.
I'll be honest. I wasn't sure about this. It'd been awhile since I read a young adult book... Or anything that wasn't from a $400 text book. So sitting down with a book like Eleanor & Park was both odd and comforting. It felt nostalgic and peaceful, and then I opened the book.
I didn't have an immediate reaction. The writing was good and kept me reading but it took me a minute or two to settle into the story. She gets on the bus, he sees her, and it's perfect. It's not love at first sight. He doesn't immediately notice how beautiful she is, because she isn't to him yet. And she just thinks he's a weird kid on the bus.
.
As I read and things begin to change between them, I remember. I remember exactly what it feels like to live for the moments you get to see him. I can feel the first time they touch. I spent much of the 114 pages reveling at how real this feels. At how amazing it was that I got to live this again, through them.
The writing was so beautiful at times. I highlighted throughout my copy, struggling not to fill the whole book with a yellow tint.
At first, the descriptive language caught my eye.
"All her bones seemed more purposeful than other people's. Like they weren't just there to hold her up; they were there to make a point." Rowell, 18.
See what I mean? Rowell takes different pathways with words. I love that. The language, the emotions that are written in make you feel like you're in love again, for the first time.
Part of what makes this book seems so real are the circumstances. It's definitely not a prince and princess love story. It's honest. Both characters have their problems, ESPECIALLY Eleanor. You relate to her. You understand.
Perhaps one of my favorite things about her is that she isn't perfect. She's bigger than most girls. THANK GOD. How refreshing is it to read about a girl that's not absolutely stunning? She's just Eleanor. Which is maybe the best part of this book. PI feel connected to her. I was fortunate enough not to grow up under her circumstances, but it doesn't stop me from relating to her.
And Park? Well Park seems a little weird. That's okay though. Aren't we all? He's a nerd, and we're all nerdy about certain things.
The truth is, the book really isn't about any of them. The book was written for us: the readers. It let's you live (or relive) your first love. It's about the feeling, not the characters. We are meant to relate to them, to live through them. That's why the book works... Or the first 114 pages anyways.
More later,
M
I'll be honest. I wasn't sure about this. It'd been awhile since I read a young adult book... Or anything that wasn't from a $400 text book. So sitting down with a book like Eleanor & Park was both odd and comforting. It felt nostalgic and peaceful, and then I opened the book.
I didn't have an immediate reaction. The writing was good and kept me reading but it took me a minute or two to settle into the story. She gets on the bus, he sees her, and it's perfect. It's not love at first sight. He doesn't immediately notice how beautiful she is, because she isn't to him yet. And she just thinks he's a weird kid on the bus.
.
As I read and things begin to change between them, I remember. I remember exactly what it feels like to live for the moments you get to see him. I can feel the first time they touch. I spent much of the 114 pages reveling at how real this feels. At how amazing it was that I got to live this again, through them.
The writing was so beautiful at times. I highlighted throughout my copy, struggling not to fill the whole book with a yellow tint.
At first, the descriptive language caught my eye.
"All her bones seemed more purposeful than other people's. Like they weren't just there to hold her up; they were there to make a point." Rowell, 18.
See what I mean? Rowell takes different pathways with words. I love that. The language, the emotions that are written in make you feel like you're in love again, for the first time.
Part of what makes this book seems so real are the circumstances. It's definitely not a prince and princess love story. It's honest. Both characters have their problems, ESPECIALLY Eleanor. You relate to her. You understand.
Perhaps one of my favorite things about her is that she isn't perfect. She's bigger than most girls. THANK GOD. How refreshing is it to read about a girl that's not absolutely stunning? She's just Eleanor. Which is maybe the best part of this book. PI feel connected to her. I was fortunate enough not to grow up under her circumstances, but it doesn't stop me from relating to her.
The truth is, the book really isn't about any of them. The book was written for us: the readers. It let's you live (or relive) your first love. It's about the feeling, not the characters. We are meant to relate to them, to live through them. That's why the book works... Or the first 114 pages anyways.
More later,
M
I totally agree about feeling both odd and comforted. My favorite parts so far included What you described about the hand holding. It felt real to me, too.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you right away about starting this book with an unsure attitude. I honestly did not think I would like it as much as I do.
ReplyDeleteThis is the type of book that you have to fully read to tie you in, in my opinion. There's nothing that really pulls the reader in at the start of the book, you just have to read through some chapters till you finally get a sense of the book.
ReplyDeleteI agree a lot with what you said. The way the author was able to describe the imagery and make it seem so real was outstanding in my opinion. I was also unsure when I picked up this book, but I have enjoyed the book a lot so far!
ReplyDeleteI really like your last paragraph! That's what every story is for the readers and what we can grasp from the words printed on those pages.
ReplyDeleteI feel like I'm back in high school when I'm reading this. You are absolutely right. I really like how honest and non-dramatic they come together.
ReplyDeleteRight, I think part of what makes this book good is that it does not sugar coat anything, nor does it attempt to make anything bigger than it is. It mostly just states circumstances and then sits back and watches the characters react to them. This makes it seem more natural I think and relatable.
ReplyDelete